The website documents my published articles, policy brief, flagship reports, book review, and data visualization project.
Policy Brief
I examine the effect of India’s demonetization experiment — an effort at “forced formalization” of the economy. I urge a more organic approach to formalization, pairing efforts to bring the unbanked population into the banking system with greater funding and accessibility for India’s signature employment guarantee program.
In our study, we identify key sectors of the Nepali economy and dig into the details of their performance over the period, prior to and during the crisis. We come up with a few recommendations that if GoN and other key policy stakeholders work on can help Nepal to secure a healthier post-pandemic economic recovery.
Flagship Report
The second edition of Nepal Competitiveness Index evaluates Nepal's seven provinces across 64 indicators in areas like macroeconomic stability, government framework, and quality of life. Bagmati province leads in competitiveness, while Sudurpaschim and Karnali provinces face challenges. In addition, the NCI 2024 also assesses seven provinces' digital competitiveness. The report aims to guide policymakers in fostering inclusive growth and prosperity in Nepal's all seven provinces.
The inaugural Nepal Competitiveness Index (NCI) 2022 document ranks Nepal’s seven provinces based on four environments, 11 sub-environments, and 64 indicators. The NCI is an ongoing collaborative effort of the Nepal Institute for Policy Research (NIPoRe) and the Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. The index will be updated regularly by incorporating new data points for the existing indicators while also adding a few more indicators to make the document more comprehensive in the future.
The Assessment of Provincial Government’s Response to COVID-19 was undertaken by Foundation and Development Management (FDM) and Nepal Institute for Policy Research (NIPoRe) primarily to understand and critically look into how the seven provinces of Nepal have handled the COVID-19 pandemic. The study analyzed provincial governments’ emergency response policies, resources, mechanism and the effectiveness of the response. Moreover, the team also looked into the coordination between federal government, provincial government and local governments in handling the crisis and identified the challenges and the gaps experienced during the management.
The HCS 2018, held on 23 and 24 March, began with a reporting of deliverables from commitments made in 2017. The HCS has become a regional convening platform bringing together some of the leading thought leaders and pioneers of social change in our region. The Summit was led by the Himalayan Consensus Institute with Nepal Economic Forum as the implementation partner.
Opinion Piece Articles
Energy and Climate Change
This article was originally published on The Third Pole under the Creative Commons BY NC ND licence.
Trade and Debt - South Asia
Strengthening Sub-Regional Cooperation via Vehicular Movement
Nepal’s geostrategic location presents a unique opportunity to engage in multiple regional projects. The BBIN MVA initiative will not only ensure trade, transport and transit facilitation across the region, but is also likely to foster regional harmony and integration by cementing strong ties between people across the BBIN countries.
Nepal Economy
Co-author: Surya Kiran Yadav
Co-author: Surya Kiran Yadav
Nepal Budget for Fiscal Year 2018/19
International Political Economy
The piece focuses on the complex geopolitical dynamics of the Indo-Pacific in 2023. It underscores the significance of the US-China rivalry, emphasizing its military, economic, and diplomatic dimensions. South Asia's role within this context is highlighted, emphasizing shared interests in a free Indo-Pacific and maritime security concerns. The language maintains a neutral tone, providing factual information and pragmatic policy recommendations for engaging with the evolving geopolitical landscape.
Co-author: Abijit Sharma
Co-author: Abijit Sharma
Given its resources, efficiency in carrying out activities and a highly capacitated human resource, China is in a unique position to lead the economic recovery in the post pandemic world. In this context, China has a huge potential to support Nepal’s economic recovery post the pandemic. This might not only be through economic aid but also through measures like encouraging Nepali tourism and implementing its pledged project.
Digitalization
Monetary Policy
Inflation
Book Review
SHERPA: Stories of Life and Death from the Forgotten Guardians of Everest
The authors’ phenomenal storytelling acumen shows dark and bright stories, which help readers understand that Sherpas have different mountains to climb daily. Not many books have been written covering the human aspect of the lives of Sherpas, and this book brings such stories to the forefront. There is no doubt that climbing is in Sherpas’ blood, be it daily struggles, climbing peaks, or dragging bodies and litter down from the high-range mountains. The book has the potential to reach a larger global audience not just because it’s related to Nepal’s much-talked subject but has brilliantly portrayed a moving human side of people performing the world’s deadliest job.
Authors: Pradeep Bashyal and Ankit Babu Adhikari
Publisher: Octopus Publishing Group Ltd./ Hachette, UK
In a world where intelligence is so often tied to success, David Robson's "The Intelligence Trap" brings a refreshing and much-needed perspective. It explores the shocking ways our intelligence can sometimes stand in the way of good decision-making.
Author: David Robson
Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks